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Studies & Degrees in Visual Communication Technology

Visual communication technology covers the tools and methods used to turn information and ideas into images: print, web pages, photography, video, animation and interactive media. It sits between graphic design and media production. Students learn to plan a message, design it and produce it with professional software and equipment.

The name varies from school to school: visual communication, visual communication design, visual communications, graphic communications technology or graphic design. The University of Washington describes the field as learning to use visual elements across a range of media to translate information and ideas. It lists branding, information design and data visualisation, publication design, motion design and interface design among its branches. Typical course content includes:

  • design principles, colour theory, layout and typography
  • design software for image editing, illustration and page layout
  • photography, video, motion graphics and animation
  • web design and interactive media
  • print production, prepress and packaging graphics
  • a portfolio of finished work, often built with real clients

Qualifications and levels

The subject is taught from two-year college degrees up to master's level. Some examples from schools in our directory show the range.

  • Associate degree (United States). Chemeketa Community College in Salem, Oregon, offers Visual Communications degrees in graphic design and multimedia arts. The programme has 96 credits, takes a minimum of two full years and leads to an Associate of Applied Science (AAS). Enrolment is limited and students start in the autumn term.
  • Bachelor's degree (United States). A bachelor's degree takes four years. At the University of Washington, Visual Communication Design students graduate with a Bachelor of Design (BDes) after at least 180 course credits; admission is competitive and around 20 students are accepted each year. Colorado Mesa University awards a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design-Visual Design. At Illinois State University the Graphic Communications Technology programme is more technical: students choose between marketing graphics technology (packaging and interactive print products) and web content management.
  • Germany. At the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar, Visual Communication is a Bachelor of Arts of eight semesters, followed by a two-semester master's programme called Visual Cultures. Lessons are taught in German, and applicants pass an aptitude test that includes an interview with up to 10 original work samples.
  • Spain. The closest official vocational training (FP) qualification is the Técnico Superior en Diseño y Edición de Publicaciones Impresas y Multimedia, a higher-level cycle of 2,000 hours in the graphic arts family.

Admission often depends on more than school grades. Many programmes ask for a portfolio, a set task or an interview, and some limit the number of places. In the United States, graphic communications programmes can be accredited by the Accrediting Council for Collegiate Graphic Communications; Illinois State University states that its programme is.

Where to study it

Our directory lists 23 schools for visual communication technology. Fourteen are in the United States and two in the United Kingdom. Australia, Spain, Italy, Ireland, Argentina, Germany and Slovenia have one each. Schools outside the United States include the University of Wolverhampton and the University of Gloucestershire in the United Kingdom, Technological University Dublin in Ireland, Griffith University in Australia, the Universidad Nacional de La Plata in Argentina and the University of Maribor in Slovenia.

The language of instruction follows the country: English in the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland and Australia, and German at Weimar. Before applying, check the language certificate the school requires, what the portfolio must contain and which software and equipment students are expected to buy.

Careers

Graduates work as graphic designers, web and interface designers, production and prepress technicians, packaging designers, multimedia producers, motion designers and web content managers. They are employed by design studios, advertising agencies, publishers, printers and in-house communication departments, and many work for themselves. In Spain, the FP title named above leads to jobs such as graphic designer and multimedia publication designer.

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) gives figures for the largest related occupation. Graphic designers held about 253,100 jobs in the United States in 2025, and 20% were self-employed. The BLS projects employment to decline 2 percent from 2025 to 2035, partly because automated design tools, including artificial intelligence, make designers more productive. It still expects about 16,000 openings a year, all from the need to replace workers who leave. The BLS adds that graphic designers usually need a bachelor's degree and that a portfolio is essential, because employers rely on it when they hire.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between visual communication and graphic design?

The terms overlap. Graphic design usually refers to print, branding and layout, while visual communication also takes in photography, video, motion graphics, web and interface design. Compare the course lists, because schools use the names differently.

How long does it take to study visual communication technology?

An associate degree in the United States takes about two years and a bachelor's degree four. The bachelor's degree at the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar takes eight semesters, and the Spanish higher FP cycle lasts 2,000 hours.

Do I need a portfolio to apply?

Often, yes. Many programmes select students through a portfolio, a set task or an interview; the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar, for example, asks for up to 10 original work samples at the interview. Each school publishes its own rules.

What is the job outlook for graphic designers?

In the United States the BLS projects a 2 percent decline in graphic design employment from 2025 to 2035, with about 16,000 openings a year to replace workers who leave.